(In Matthew, the story tells of two demoniacs.) See GENNESARET, LAND OF. This is just five miles from Capernaum, where Jesus had previously been, so it makes sense. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 991. 13:1-53. Now there is no question that Capernaum was on "the other side," nor is there any suggestion that the boat was driven out of its course; and it is quite obvious that, sailing toward Capernaum, whether at Tell Chum or at Khan Minyeh, it would never reach Bethsaida Julius. Around 150 years later Origen comes along, and, knowing that Matthews attempted fix isnt watertight, relocates the event to Gergasa based on what is probably an ancient tradition. Commentary on the Gospel according to John Books 1-10, Ed. , Origen, John. Finding out that biblical hail was actually ice and fire mixed together, which is actually ash blobs. Occasionally, however, tempests break over the lake, in which a boat could hardly live. It was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and must have been a locality where the steep edges of the Bashan plateau drop close upon the brink of the lake. It lay near the place where the Jordan enters the Sea of Gennesaret (Ant., XVIII, ii, 1; BJ, II, ix, 1; III, x, 7; Vita, 72). There is scarcely any doubt that the scene of the miracle on the poor demoniac, and of the subsequent possession of the swine, must be looked for on this spot. If Capernaum were at Khan Minyeh, then the two lay close together. Well probably never find out what the real deal is, but, as usual with these things, thats only a problem if we subscribe to the patently false doctrine of inerrancy.17. The greatest breadth is in the North, from el-Mejdel to the mouth of Wady Semak being rather over 7 miles. Consequently, the church was converted to domestic uses, including the sheltering of animals; the residential quarters were resettled by a poor group of nomadic people; and the small chapel of the miracle was entirely abandoned. So at least that part of the story adds up the pigs could have run into the lake from Gadaras territory. fine for parking in handicap spot in ohio. Christian artifacts from Kursi can be viewed at the Golan Archaeological Museum. The Gerasa of Mark 5:1 was probably Kursi/Gergesa. 2019 Dr. Andrew Jackson. If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles per hour) between Cana to Capernaum, It takes 0.03 hours to arrive. The "desert" of the narrative is just the barriyeh of the Arabs where the animals are driven out for pasture. General Description:The sea lies in the deep trough of the Jordan valley, almost due East of the Bay of Acre. Then Josephus explicitly says that Bethsaida was in Lower Gaulonitis (BJ, II, ix, 1). Gergesa was a small and very obscure town nearly opposite Capernaum. The at some distance is a bit fluffy in the english it could mean anywhere from not far to miles away. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Alfred Edersheim. Decaplis, Powered by, View over Kursi toward the Sea of Galilee, The Black Obelisks journey from Nimrud to London, A critical assessment of the scientific explanation for the Ten Plagues in The Exodus Decoded Plague 7: Hail. If we accept Marcan Priority (which we do around here) then weve got Mark writing country of the Gerasenes, Luke following him faithfully, but Matthew deliberately changing Gerasenes to Gadarenes in his version of events. The substitution of sin for cad is easy: but the insertion of the guttural `ain is impossible. It became the seat of a bishopric, and one of its bishops attended the Council of Chalcedon. Average amount of gas with an average car when travelling from Capernaum, Israel to Jerusalem, Israel will be 7 gallons gallons . The Sea of Galilee is Israel's largest freshwater lake. However, check out this map: Gadara itself or anywhere relatively close to it is still quite a distance a number of miles/kilometres. The multitude following on foot along the northern shore of the lake would cross the Jordan by the ford at its mouth which is used by foot travelers to this day. It throws out a rocky promontory into the sea, and beyond this are the ruins of Khan Minyeh, with `Ain et-Tineh close under the cliff. However, Im not alone in thinking that this isnt the best explanation.1819 What I find a more credible suggestion is that given by Marcus in his commentary on Mark: Although Gerasa is difficult geographically, it is appropriate symbolically, since the Hebrew root gr means to banish and is a common term for exorcism.20. The remains of the monastery can be visited in the Kursi National Park. The place might therefore be called with propriety, either "land of the Gerasenes," with reference to the local center, or "land of the Gadarenes," with reference to the superior city. According to Luke 3:23, Jesus was about thirty years old (quite old in those days) when he began his ministry. Traces of ancient buildings in the vicinity show that there must have been a fairly numerous population in the district.2. The Valley of Kursi, or Wadi Samak, is still rich in fertile farming land. Its Christian residents then abandoned it. The Bible is way more interesting than inerrancy would have you believe. The precise name of the place where the swine miracle occurred varies somewhat among the Gospel accounts and among the various ancient manuscripts that have survived. The soil on the level parts around the sea is exceedingly fertile. Many ancient tombs are to be seen in the face of the hills. The water from `Ain et-Tabgha was brought round the promontory at `Ain et-Tineh by a conduit cut in the rock. Helmut Koester, Hermeneiaa Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2001), 23. The distance is about 19 miles from the river. Country of the Gadarenes: This city is not named in Scripture, but the territory belonging to it is spoken of as chora ton Gadarenon, "country of the Gadarenes" (Matthew 8:28).In the parallel passages (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37) we read: chora ton Gerasenon "country of the Gerasenes."There is no good reason, however, to question the accuracy of the text in either case. This it is that lends its highest charm to "the eye of Galilee. Contradictions, Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. Its fair to say this is one of the weirder gospel narratives. The healing of Legion is narrated in all three synoptic gospels; they all begin by describing where the event took place: Matthew 8:28 When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him.1, Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes., Luke 8:26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.. Such storms are fairly frequent, and as they are attended with danger to small craft, the boatmen are constantly on the alert. The sultan of Damascus is said to have fortified it; but there is nothing to show that the Moslems occupied it for any length of time.3. These motifs were taken from artists notebooks that were used throughout the Mediterranean world, not only during the Byzantine period, but also before and after. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. ", beth-sa'-i-da (Bethsaida, "house of fishing"):(1) A city East of the Jordan, in a "desert place" (that is, uncultivated ground used for grazing) at which Jesus miraculously fed the multitude with five loaves and two fishes (Mark 6:32 Luke 9:10). Soon after the sites final abandonment, alluvial soil from the Wadi Samak covered this important Christian holy place. II, ix, 1). In about ten minutes the wind fell as suddenly as it had risen. This is a difficulty for Marks account the pigs would have had to trot many miles from the country of the Gerasenes before they even reached the hillside that overlooks the lake, never mind actually get to the lake itself. At the beginning of the Jewish revolt the country around Gadara was laid waste (BJ, II, xviii, 1). The hot springs, as noted above, are in the bottom of the valley to the North. The total distance between Galilee and Capernaum is 5131 KM (kilometers) and 307.05 meters. In 1970, while clearing land for a new road to the Golan Heights, a bulldozer operated by the Ministry of Public Works turned up large quantities of Byzantine pottery and then began to unearth the ruins of ancient structures. (Ant., XV, vii, 3; BJ, I, xx, 3). iv.12; St. Mark i.14; St. Luke iv.14, 15; St. John iv.43-54.) We may assume that the cities named in the Gospels were mainly Jewish. This seems to be the fountain called "Capharnaum" by Josephus (BJ, III, x, 8). On the second occasion the wind blew from the East, and the phenomena described above were practically repeated.4. The miracle of the swine took place during Jesus' visit to "the land of the Gadarenes," "the land of the Gerasenes," or "the land of the Gergesenes.". Mark 6:45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away. It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). Here a shallow vale breaks northward, bounded on the West by Tell `Areimeh. TIME. The agreement of these two favors the strict interpretation. The air cleared, and the wide welter of foam-crested waves attested the fury of the blast. It is located at the longitude of -71.522615 and latitude of 41.364855. The distance line on map shows distance from Nazareth to Capernaum between two cities. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". Why swap out one territory for another? Possibly, however, the name may represent the Hebrew ganne sarim, "princely gardens." This courtyard provided an impressive space to meet, talk and restperhaps on the low benches whose remains we found on the western side. Cataloging is a continuous work in progress, however, and we welcome your input to enhance our understanding and presentation of the collection. He therefore took it upon himself to change the geographical details to make them more realistic. Josephus gives Pella as the northern boundary of Peraea (BJ, III, iii, 3). John, writing after 84 A.D., would hardly have used the phrase "Bethsaida of Galilee" of a place only recently attached to that province, writing, as he was, at a distance from the scene, and recalling the former familiar conditions. When he sees Jesus, the demoniac begs Jesus not to torment him. It is the only place fitting Matthew's description, since it contains the only "steep bank" in the area descending all the way to the shore of the lake. 2023 Biblical Historical Context. Many are the ruins of great and splendid cities on slope and height of which almost nothing is known today. MATTHEW. The ancient walls may be traced in almost their entire circuit of 2 miles. Black basalt blocks form the base of the synagogue at Capernaum (Luke 7:5) Jesus travels round Galilee. The location of the incident of the "Gadarene . The arguments for and against this view may be summarized as follows:(a) Galilee ran right round the lake, including most of the level coastland on the East. John 12:21 These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus. , Glenn F. Chesnut, Eusebius of Caesarea (Person), ed. There are some ruins now on this spot still known by the very slight corruption of Kerzha. 1. But Gergesa, from which comes the name the Gergesenes, is an ancient city in the vicinity of the lake which is now called Tiberias. The name Samak, which means fish both in Aramaic (the vernacular of Jesus time) and in Arabic, reflects the fact that these fish were as important to the ancients as to people today. (iii) If the 4th Gospel was not written until well into the 2nd century, then the apostle was not the author; but this is a very precarious assumption. From the late fifth to the early seventh centuries, all four sides of the compound had entrances. It varies in depth from 130 ft. to 148 ft., being deepest along the course of the Jordan (Barrois, PEFS, 1894, 211-20). The narratives of Mark and Luke tell us that the heard of pigs was located on the hillside and that the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea (Mk 5:13 Lukes record is pretty much identical). Gergesa, also Gergasa ( in Byzantine greek) or the Country of the Gergesenes, is a place on the eastern (Golan Heights) side of the Sea of Galilee located at some distance to the ancient Decapolis cities of Gadara and Gerasa. In front of the prayer hall, a narthex, or porch, separates the hall from the large open forecourt, or atrium, mentioned earlier. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Mention is made of the strength of the site and the mighty masonry of its walls. 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